Different types of people excel in different types of jobs—so if you want to thrive in your career, it’s in your best interest to find a job that’s well-suited to your personality.
If you’re an extrovert, you might be drawn to different roles than those an introvert might go after. But how do you know what types of jobs will play to your natural strengths and abilities—and leave you feeling excited and energized at the end of the workday?
We’ve put together a list of 10 roles that tend to be great fits for extroverts. But first, let’s quickly define what, exactly, an extrovert is, and what they should look for in a job.
What’s an Extrovert Again?
Extroverts “direct their energy and attention outward and receive energy from interacting with people,” says Mike Warrick, founder of Jamesson Solutions, a consultancy that offers personality and motivation assessments to help teams and individuals identify their strengths—and build careers that play to those strengths. “Extroverts are typically outgoing, talkative, action-oriented, and not afraid to take risks.”
Essentially, extroverts are energized by social interaction—unlike introverts, who often feel drained by too much of it and need plenty of alone time to recharge their batteries. But that kind of talkative personality can come with misconceptions, starting with the idea that talking is all extroverts know how to do.
“A basic misconception about extroversion is that we just can’t help ourselves in terms of being vocal...in meetings or in conversation,” says Nadia Ibrahim-Taney, self-proclaimed extrovert and founder of Beyond Discovery Coaching, where she works with recent grads as they navigate the professional world for the first time and find the right jobs.
While extroverts do tend to lean towards being more talkative, they also value what other people have to say and can be excellent listeners.
Another misconception about extroverts is that they automatically have a leg up in their job search. It’s true that being naturally extroverted may help during certain parts of the process (for example, by being able to keep energy high during a long day of interviews with multiple people), but extroversion alone isn’t enough to land you the job.
“Being an extrovert in and of itself doesn’t necessarily give someone a job market advantage—unless you connect it to a skill or ability,” Ibrahim-Taney says. “For example, how does being extroverted connect to your ability to lead a team? Hit sales targets? Solve problems? Or motivate others around you?”
What Should Extroverts Look for in a Job?
If you identify as an extrovert, you’ll want to find a role (and company) that plays to who you are so that you can feel like your happiest and most productive self. “The more a person chooses roles that align with their behavioral strengths, the higher the likelihood they will perform at a higher level—and choose to stay in the role longer,” Warrick says.
“Typically, an extrovert will have a much higher likelihood of long-term success and superior performance in a role that requires action, a high degree of contact with other people, a forum to express ideas, and freedom from mundane or routine tasks,” Warrick says. “An environment that is faster paced, not as restrictive, where they have freedom to create and develop their ideas is ideal.”
Now that you know what to look for in a role and work environment, let’s jump into some of the best jobs for extroverts along with salary info from PayScale. (Note that PayScale's database is updated nightly; these numbers reflect the latest as of June 2021.)
1. Management Consultant
Average salary: $88,310
Management consultants work with various organizations to improve their businesses by identifying problems, developing potential solutions to those problems, and then overseeing the implementation of said solutions to ensure they drive results. For example, if an organization is struggling to attract top talent, they may hire a management consultant to review their hiring practices and develop a strategy to get stronger candidates in the door. Or if a business is losing money, they may hire management consultants to reimagine their budget and look for opportunities to cut costs without sacrificing performance.
Management consultants are employed by consulting firms, not directly by the companies they work for, which means management consultants are constantly on the go, bouncing between clients and projects on a regular basis. As such, they need to be comfortable interacting, working, and building relationships with new people all the time—a scenario extroverts typically find rewarding and energizing.
2. Product Manager
Average salary: $98,259
Developing software requires work and input from various people (including software engineers and designers) and departments (such as sales and marketing). It’s a lot of opinions and ideas to manage, and without a point person, it can be hard (or even impossible) to coordinate and translate them into a functioning, successful software product. That’s where product managers come in.
Product managers oversee the development of software, acting as a liaison between different stakeholders and ensuring that the final product delivers on what customers need and hits the company’s goals. Because product managers are responsible for so many moving parts, they spend the majority of their time meeting with folks from different departments, facilitating communications and getting people on the same page, setting priorities and making a plan (called a product roadmap), keeping people on task, and adjusting and solving problems along the way to make sure the product is finished and delivered on time.
Basically, product managers are dealing with different people all day long (so many meetings!), which, without some level of extroversion, can feel completely draining. That makes this role a natural fit for extroverts.
3. Pharmaceutical Sales Rep
Average salary: $86,089
Pharmaceutical sales reps are responsible for increasing prescriptions of the medications their pharmaceutical company makes and sells. They build relationships with doctor’s offices, hospitals, and clinics in their given territory and educate medical professionals on the benefits of the drug they’re selling on behalf of the pharmaceutical company they represent.
Like many sales roles, pharmaceutical sales representatives spend the vast majority of their time talking to and interacting with people—whether that’s catching up with their existing accounts, visiting and making introductions to new doctor’s offices or clinics, or giving presentations on the pharmaceuticals they’re selling. So if you consider yourself an extrovert, a career in pharmaceutical sales could be a great fit.
Find pharmaceutical sales representative and other sales jobs on The Muse
4. PR Manager
Average salary: $70,633
PR (public relations) managers tackle the task of driving awareness, “buzz,” and positive associations for a person, product, service, brand, or organization. Depending on what they’re promoting, PR managers may spend their time drafting press releases, strengthening relationships with media contacts, managing public-facing press campaigns (for example, a new product launch or a book release), or developing and implementing strategies to minimize the impact of negative press.
PR professionals spend a huge amount of their time building relationships and talking to the press, which makes this an ideal career path for someone on the extroverted end of the spectrum.
Find PR manager and other public relations jobs on The Muse
5. Customer Success Manager
Average salary: $69,651
Customer success managers (also sometimes referred to as CSMs) are in charge of making sure customers are supported and satisfied and have everything they need to make the most out of their company’s products or services. Depending on what kind of product or service their organization offers, this may include everything from training customers on how to best leverage the company’s offerings, strategizing around new ways to improve the customer experience, fielding customer requests, or troubleshooting product or service issues.
Customer success managers are the go-to contact for the customers they serve; if a customer has a problem, question, or issue they need addressed, the CSM is the person they’re going to reach out to. So it’s no surprise that CSMs need to have prior customer service experience, but they also need to be proactive in this role, offering customized recommendations, advocating for customer interests internally, and more. And because CSMs typically manage a large volume of customers, that can all translate to a lot of social interaction in the form of meetings, phone calls, and one-on-one support—so extroverts tend to thrive in this role.
6. HR Manager
Average salary: $68,644
Human resources (HR) managers lead the charge for all things people-related within an organization. Depending on the company, an HR manager’s responsibilities may include onboarding new team members, managing employee benefits, and developing and implementing initiatives that reinforce the company culture and values and support the team (for example, wellness initiatives or employee volunteer opportunities).
Because of the nature of their role, HR managers have to interact with a huge variety of people throughout the organization, from brand new hires all the way up to C-level leadership. It’s a role that requires a high level of social skills and the ability to connect with a variety of personalities throughout the day—making it a great role for extroverts.
Find HR manager and other human resources jobs on The Muse
7. Registered Nurse
Average salary: $66,152
Registered nurses (RNs) provide medical care for patients, whether that’s in a hospital, doctor’s office, surgical center, school, or home. Depending on what kind of care the patient needs and/or what area they specialize in (for example, emergency care, pediatrics, or labor and delivery), on a given day RNs might be monitoring a patient’s vital signs, administering medications, reviewing treatment plans with patients and their loved ones, or assisting a surgeon during emergency surgery.
Interacting with people is at the core of an RN’s job, whether that’s coordinating with doctors, providing care directly to patients, or interacting with patients’ families and loved ones. So while RNs (obviously) need the medical training and skills to support their patients, they also need to be able to keep their energy high while navigating frequent social interaction—and extroverts are up to the task.
8. Recruiter
Average salary: $51,833
Recruiters are responsible for seeking out the best candidates for the roles they’re assigned to fill, introducing those candidates to hiring managers, and facilitating the interview and hiring process.
Pretty much every part of a recruiter’s role—including reaching out to potential candidates, scheduling interviews, conducting phone screenings, preparing candidates for the interview process, and managing salary negotiations—requires social interaction, both with potential job candidates and with hiring managers and other stakeholders. Recruiters need to be able to keep a positive attitude and high energy throughout all their interactions since, for example, a negative experience with a recruiter can turn a candidate off to a job opportunity. So this role is an obvious choice for people who consider themselves extroverts.
9. Event Planner
Average salary: $50,472
Event planners manage all the details associated with organizing and executing an event, whether it’s an industry conference or a wedding. They’re responsible for keeping track of logistics, acting as a liaison between the client throwing the event and various vendors, hiring and managing event staff, and providing on-site support during the event to make sure everything goes as planned.
In order to pull off a successful event, event planners have to manage relationships and interactions with a huge variety of people—including their clients, vendors, and event staff—making this a role extroverts can thrive in.
10. Teacher
Average salary: $49,683
Teachers develop lesson plans, give lectures, create educational experiences (for example, games that help students grasp a specific topic), and provide direct support to students to help them achieve their full potential. Teachers may also lead after-school programs or extracurricular clubs associated with their subject (for example, a public speaking teacher might lead a debate club while a music teacher might spearhead their school’s musical theater program or marching band).
Teachers spend the majority of their day in the classroom teaching, which involves talking to and interacting with students. But teachers also have to manage relationships with school administrators, parents, and other educators, so being an extrovert can make teaching a happier, more energizing experience.